In Memoriam - December 17th

1827 Brice Henry in Sangamon Co., IL, the son of John Henry.  Affidavit of decease claims Brice Henry died 17 December 1827. Administrators John Lindsay and Francis Henry were named 1 Feb. 1828.  Appraiser was John L. Thompson.  Bill of Sale contains an inventory of the goods and chattels of the said Brice Henry and persons buying at the estate sale were Richard Hazle, John Lindsay, Francis Henry, Samuel McDaniel, Richard C. Masters, John Woods, John Fagan, Presley Sanders.

1941 Magdalena (Erkman) Dreiling in St. Petersburg, FL age 74.  The daughter of Jacob & Eva (Bechtold) Erkman she was born in Indiana in 1867.  Magdalena married Charles Dreiling and they had four children: Ernest, Louis, Lena and Peggy.

In Memoriam - December 16th

1872 James Fitzgerald in Illinois age 52.  He was born in Gibson Co., IN in 1820 the son of Derritt & Susannah (Ferguson) Fitzgerald.  James married 1) Elizabeth Taylor and 2) Sarah Wise.  He had seven children: Stewart, James, William, Nancy, John, Mary and George.

1963 Nathan Shoulders husband of Velma Robertson. The couple had five children: unnamed son, Ronald, Darrel, Carrol and Earl.

2010 Donald C. Shaw, 93, Rochelle, passed away on Thursday, Dec. 16, 2010 at Rochelle Gardens.

He was born on Sept. 15, 1917 in Wayne County, the son of Vern and Edith Mary (Rainwater) Shaw.

In Memoriam - December 15th

1874 Agnes (Jones) Goodnight in Henderson Co., IL age 74.  She was the wife of John Goodnight and they had six children: Elizabeth, Mary, Martha, Amanda, Thomas and Frances.  She is buried in the Old Bedford Cemetery in McDonough Co., IL.

In Memoriam - December 14th

1686 John Perkins in Ipswich, MA age 77.  He was baptized in Hillmorton, England in 1609 the son of John & Judith (Gater) Perkins.  The family immigrated to Massachusetts in 1630.  John married a woman named Elizabeth.  He is buried in the Old Burying Ground in Ipswich, MA.

1862 David Johnson son of Benjamin & Abigail (Roberts) Johnson in Pennsylvania.  He was born in Richland, PA in 1793 and married Susanna Foulke.

1962 Effie (Montoney) Smith age 88 daughter of William & Mary (Bryant) Montoney.  She was born in Clay Co., IL in 1874.  Effie married John Smith and they had eight children:  Hazel, Earl, Cleo, Ethel, Edna, James, Delorse and Magdlena.  She is buried in Dillman Cemetery in Sailor Springs, IL.

1993 Stella (Sapyta) Oliver in Decatur, IL age 78, she was born in Chicago, IL in 1915.  Stella was the wife of Samuel Oliver and they had four children: Raymond, Gaynell, Pamela and Janet.

In Memoriam - December 13th

1891 Martha (Edwards) Fitzgerald the wife of Stewart Fitzgerald age 50.  Martha & Stewart had six children: Mary, James, Betsy, Charles, Anna and Guy.  She is buried in Clay City, IL.

1971 Norva Bryan age 84 in Clay Co., IL the son of Wesley & Catherine (Smith) Bryan.  He was born in Clay Co., IL in 1887.  Norva married Anna Coburn and they had a

In Memoriam - December 12th

1671 Alice (Richards) Bradford age 44 in Kingston, MA.  She was born in England in 1627.  Alice married Major William Bradford  and they had ten children: Thomas, Alice, Hannah, Meletiah, Mary, Sarah, John, William, Mercy and Samuel.

 

1688 Isaac Loomis the 20 year old son of Deacon John & Elizabeth (Scott) Loomis.

 

1890 John Zeller the 5 year old son of John & Clara (Erkman) Zeller.  He was born in Omaha, IL in 1885.

 

1898 Isabella (Jones) Colclasure daughter of William Jones in Clay Co., IL, age 27.  She was born in Clay Co., IL in 1871 and married Arthur Colcalsure.

 

1954 Flaura (Fitzgerald) Burgess age 79.  The daughter of William & Emily (Smith) Fitzgerald she was born in 1875.  Flaura married Oscar Burgess.

 

1994 Vera (Bailey) Crumbacher the wife of Fred Crumbacher.

In Memoriam - December 11th

1723 Elizabeth (Loomis) Brown age 52 the daughter of Deacon John & Elizabeth (Scott) Loomis.   She was born in 1671 and married John Brown.  They are the ancestors of John Brown who raided Harpers Ferry in October 1859.

 

2009 Pete Courtright 89 Dies; Worked in Chicago Area

James "Pete" L. Courtright Sr., 89, died December 11, 2009.  Services were held with Congdon & Company Funeral Directors and Cremation Services in charge of arrangements.

Employment included Fansteel in North Chicago, National Gypsum in Waukegan and City of Zion where he retired.

Pete was born in Geff on Aug. 19, 1920, the son of the late Stokley R. and Gladys Fields Courtright.

He was a decorated WWII veteran, serving from April 1942 until December 1945.  His tour included New Guinea, North France Normandy and Luzon. 

On Nov. 9 1946 he married Madonna L. Willison, who preceded him in death June 9, 2000.

Survivors include a son, James L. Jr.; a daughter Sheryl Ann Green; three granddaughters and five great-granddaughters.

Preceding him in death were his parents, wife, a dughter Cathy G. Courtright Myers, August 1980.  Pete was the last surviving sibling of nine.

In Memoriam - December 10th

1645 Raedegon (Clapp) Capen age 29 in Dorchester, MA.  She was born in Sidbury, England in 1616.  Raedegon married John Capen in Dorchester, MA in 1637.

1712 Jemima (Whitcomb) Loomis  wife of Ebenezer Loomis. 

1918 Douglas Fitzgerald the 2 year old son of Howard & JoAnna (McDonald) Fitzgerald of influenza in Clay Co. IL. 

2003 Jason P. Anselmo, 18, of Somonauk, died Wednesday, December 10, 2003 in Valley West Community Hospital in Sandwich.

He was the grandson of Hazel and Dale Colclasure of Burnt Prairie.  Hazel is the Burnt Prairie correspondent for the Press.

He was born April 14, 1985 in Downers Grove, the son of Benjamin and Angela Colclasure Anselmo.  Even though Jason was wheelchair bound and afflicted with muscular dystrophy he graduated from Somonauk High School in the Class of 2003, and was attending Waubonsee Community College in Sugar Grove.

Jason participated in MDA Camps yearly for several years.  Memorials may be directed to the Shriners Hospital of Chicago.

Funeral services were held December 13 at the Turner Funeral home in Somonauk with Reverend Dennis Heaney officiating.   Burial was in Oak Mound Cemetery rural Somonauk.

Jason is survived by his parents Ben and Angie Anselmo of Somonauk; his grandparents Hazel and Dale Colclasure of Burnt Prairie, Ben Anselmo of Sun City, Arizona; several aunts, uncles and cousins.

In Memoriam - December 9th

1619 Richard Denton son of Richard & Gennett (Bannyster) Denton age 62 in England.  He was born in Halifax, England in 1557.  He married Susan and they had a son Richard.

1732 Samuel Lathrop age 82 in Norwich, CT the son of Samuel & Elizabeth (Scudder) Lathrop.  Samuel was born in New London, CT in 1650.  He married Hannah Adgate in 1675 and they had seven children:  Hannah, Elizabeth, Thomas, Margaret, Samuel, Simon and Nathaniel.  After Hannah’s death in 1695 Samuel married Mary (--?--) Edgerton.

1767 William Hinkle age 2 the son of Capt. Charles & Elizabeth (Johnson) Hinkle in Germantown, PA.  William was baptized in St. Michael's Church in Germantown, PA in 1765.  He is buried in the churchyard there.

1853 Cynthia (Powell) Lathrop age 60 in Lawrence Co., IL.  She was born in Hartford, VT in 1793 the daughter of Rowland & Mary (Janes) Powell.  Cynthia worked as a school teacher prior to her marriage to Russell Lathrop in Richford, VT in 1815.  They had 11 children:  Henry, Levi, Samantha, Hazen, Erastus, Lucy, Marvin, Clarinda, Mary, Martha and Ezra.  The family lived near the Canadian border and at least one child was born in Canada.  Russell moved his family to Decatur Co., IN in 1837 and to Lawrence Co., IL in 1841.  Cynthia is buried in Prairieton Lone Tree Cemetery in Lawrence Co., IL.

1909 Harriet (Gregg) Young in Grandview, MO age 94.  She was born in Shelby Co., KY in 1815 and married Solomon Young. They are Harry Truman’s grandparents.

1911 Rachel (Colclasure) Dennen in Clay Co., IL age 74.  Rachel was born 1837 in Illinois the daughter of Jacob & Mary (Trinkle) Colclasure.  She married 1) Andy Dennen and 2) Jacob Spiker.  Rachel was the mother of eight children:  Richard, William, Clara, Angeline, Otto, John SPiker, Joseph Spiker and Clara Spiker. 

In Memoriam - December 8th

1688 Thomas Loomis age 35 the son of Deacon John & Elizabeth (Scott) Loomis. 

 

1730 Mehitable Crow in Connecticut age 78.  She was the daughter of John & Elizabeth (Goodwin) Crow born ca. 1652 in Hartford, CT.

 

1736 John Bradford son of Major William & Alice (Richard) Bradford in Massachusetts age 83.  He was obrn in 1653 and married Mercy Warren.

 

1997 Marie (--?--) Runyon the wife of William Runyon age 78.  She was born in 1919.  Marie is buried in Floydsburg, KY.

In Memoriam - December 7th

1620 Dorothy (May) Bradford first wife of Gov. William Bradford drowned off Cape Cod.  There is some speculation that she jumped off the Mayflower and committed suicide. She had one son, John.

 

1835 Elizabeth Avery age 89 the daughter of Rev. Ephraim & Deborah (Lathrop) Avery.

 

1904 John Long age 68 the son of Robert & Margaret (Runyon) Long.  He was born in Kentucky in 1836.  John married Nancy (--?--) and they had five children: Eddie, Cora, Eliza, Robert and John.

 

1954 Whilemina (Zeller) Warner the daughter of John & Clara (Erkman) Zeller age 48.  She was born in Lovell, WY in 1906 and married Frank Warner.

 

2002 Keith Dove in Fairfield, IL age 84.  The son of Joe & Clara (Wood) Dove he was born in Keenes, IL in 1918.  Keith married Bernice Harper and they had two children: Billie & Sharon Dove.  He is buried in Farnsworth / Mt. Zion Cemetery in Wayne Co., IL.

In Memoriam - December 6th

1829 Jedidiah Lathrop at his daughter’s home on Wyalusing Creek in Bradford Co., PA age 83.  He was born in Norwich, CT in 1746 the son of Lt. Ezra & Charity (Perkins) Lathrop.  Jedidiah married Sarah Tracy and they had at least one daughter.  He is buried in Stevensville, PA.

 

1837 Nancy (Ellison) Hocker age 49 in Madison Co., KY.  She was born there in 1788 and married Nicholas Hocker in 1803.

 

1885 Ezra Lathrop son of Rev. Erastus & Delia (Ingalls) Lathrop in Decatur Co., IN age 82.  He was born in Canada in 1803.  The family moved to Vermont in 1810, to Dearborn Co., IN in 1817 and on to Decatur Co., IN in 1822 where Ezra married Abi Potter.  The couple had eight children:  six unnamed children, James and Levi.  Ezra followed a number of careers over his lifetime from contractor, running a mercantile store and broker.  He also served his community as a deacon in the Baptist church and as a magistrate.  Ezra was described as an old-line Whig who became a Republican.  He is buried in Southlawn Cemetery in Greensburg, IN.

 

1957 Lou (Speer) Gurley age 91 in Fairfield, IL.  She was born in Jeffersontwon, KY in 1865 the daughter of Charles & Ann (Runyon) Speer.  Lou married James Gurley and they had five children: Edith, Elston, Edna, Ruby and Lyman.  She is buried in Thomason Cemetery in Wayne City, IL.

 

2003 Leonard Robertson in Mt. Vernon, IL age 69.  The son of Leonard & Grace (Atkinson) Robertson he was born in Wayne Co. IL in 1934.  He married Leda Caldwell.

In Memoriam - December 5th

1566 John Scudder in Little Brook, England age 52.  Born ca. 1514 in England he was the son of John Scudder.  John married Joane and they had a son Thomas.

1850 Joel Clark in Lawrence Co., OH age 55.  He was born in 1795 the son of Samuel & Mary (Darby) Clark.  He married Margaret (--?--).  Joel is buried in Pine Grove Cemetery in Lawrence Co., OH

1899 Lottie (Colclasure) Lovelle age 27 in Clay Co., IL was born in Xenia, IL in 1872.  She was the daughter of Richard & Eliza (Sefton) Colclasure.  Lottie married Charles Lovelle and they had one son. 

1902 Rachel (Laws) Lathrop age 78 the daughter of William & Appie (?) Laws in Richland Co., IL.  She was born in Lawrence Co., IL in 1824.  Rachel married Henry Lathrop and they had ten children:  Samantha, Ann, Elvira, Albert, Charles, George, Mary, Henry, Gilbert and Martha.  She is buried in Amity Cemetery in Richland Co., IL.

1996 Norma (Blood) Dreiling age 75.  The wife of William Dreiling she was born in 1921.  They had one son, Richard.

In Memoriam - December 4th

1885 Elizabeth (Wolfe) Leathers Hickman in Wayne Co., IL age 90.  She was born in Virginia in 1795 the daughter of John & Elizabeth (Cornwell) Wolfe.  She married 1) Jonathan Leathers and had a daughter Lucinda and 2) George Hickman.

1979 Margaret (Atteberry) Meeks in Louisville, KY age 89.  She was born in Barnhill, IL in 1890 and married Casper Meeks.  They had at least one son, Virgil.

1984 Bonnie (Fitzgerald) Francher age 81 the daughter of Howard & Joanna (McDonald) Fitzgerald.  She was born in 1903 and married Holly Francher.

School Teachers

Samuel Fitch 1626-? worked as a teacher in Hartford, CT between 1650-1655.

Cynthia (Powell) Lathrop 1793-1853 taught school in Richford, VT prior to her marriage in 1815.

Henry Lathrop 1817-1903 son of Cynthia above, in 1839 secured a position as a teacher of a subscription school, and after following this 5 months he had saved $100.  IN the winter of 1840 and 1841 he again engaged in teaching in Lawrence County, IL.  Rachel Laws attended the common school of that period, taught by Henry Lathrop, who fell in love with his pupil and married her.

William Lawrence 1865-1912 Wayne Co., IL 1900

Mary (Fee) Barnes 1875-1945 music teacher in Lawrence Co., IL 1900 - During her young womanhood Mrs. Barnes taught music and throughout her life was vitally interested in good music. One of her greatest joys was to have friends in her home for an evening of music and singing.

George Stine 1879-? Lawrence Co., IL 1900-1934, later became a United Brethren minister

Harry Peters 1884-? was listed as a school teacher in the Clark Co., IN 1910 census.  He gave it up to become an insurance salesman.

In Memoriam - December 2nd

1745 Mary (Bushnell) Leffingwell age 90 in Saybrook, CT.  She was born in 1655 in Hartford, CT the daughter of Richard & Mary (Marvin) Bushnell.  Mary married Sgt. Thomas Leffingwell and they had ten children:  Deborah, Thomas, Elizabeth, Anne, Mary, Zerviah, John, Abigail, Benajah and Hezekiah.

1888 John Fee age 44 in Lawrence Co., IL.  He was born in Clermont Co., OH in 1844 and came to Lawrence Co. IL in 1866.  John married 1) Jane Kelso and 2) Elvira Lathrop.  He and Elvira had five children: unnamed child, Mary, Arthur, Ada and Carl.  John is buried in Chauncey Cemetery in Chauncey, IL.

1897 Mary (Butler) Lathrop. She was the wife of James Lathrop and they had six children:  Ella, two unnamed children, Lizzie, Harry and Margaret.

1946 Amos Robertson in Eagle, CO age 75.  He was born in Fairfield, IL the son of Amos & Sarah (Warren) Robertson.  Amos married Lula Cravens and they had thirteen children:  Ralph, Grandrill, Della, Nellie, Lula, Ortha, Ordie, Haskel, Sarah, Ida, Helen, John and Hester. He is buried in Sunset View Cemetery in Eagle, CO.

1956 Miles Withrow age 73 he was the son of Franklin & Mary (Dove) Withrow.  He was born in Washington Co., AR.  Miles married Ada Edmonds in Sallisaw, OK and they had five children:  Troy, Robert, Perry, Grace and Arlene. 

1970 Grandrill aka Peanut Robertson the son of Amos & Lula (Cravens) Robertson above.  He was born in Sims, IL in 1901.  Grandrill married 1) Elizabeth Martin and 2) Leafy Lawrence.  He and Leafy had two children: Billy and Betty.  They were divorced ca. 1932.  Grandrill died in Roan Creek, CO and is buried in Battlement Mesa Cemetery in Parachute, CO.

1971 Elmer Zeller the son of John & Clara (Erkman) Zeller age 72.  He was born in St. James, AR in 1899 and married Phoebe Wheeler.

1972 Larry Flanigan the son of Cecil & Opal (Shaw) Flanigan age 24.  He was born in 1948 and is buried in Salem / Mateer Cemetery in Wayne Co., IL.

2000 Obituary abstract: Richardson, Sylvia (Withrow), 80, of Wayne City, died 2 Dec. 2000 at Countryside Manor in Mt. Vernon; born 25 Sep 1930 in Wayne County; daughter of Sylvester Withrow and Addie Dickey; married Robert Richardson, he died 24 March 1999; survived by 2 sons:  preceded in death by parrents, 5 sisters, 2 brothers, burial Tuesday 5 December in Thomason Cemetery.

2014 Mary Alice Fitzgerald, 75, of Fairfield, died Tuesday, December 2, 2014 at 1:45 a.m. at the Good Samaritan Regional Health Center in Mt. Vernon.

Mary spent her life as a homemaker.

Graveside services will be held Friday at 2 p.m. at the Koontz Cemetery.  Family and friends are asked to go directly to the cemetery.  There will be no visitation.  Johnson and Vaughn Funeral Home are conducting the arrangements.

Mary was born February 21, 1939 to Paul and Mary (Sharp) Linder in Keenes.

Survivors include her husband Charles; six daughters, Helen May (Charles) Brown of Olney, Brenda Fay (Eldred) Simpson of Fairfield, Tammy Kay (Tim) Brown of Lawrenceville, Sherri Renea (Jeffery) Bowers of Lawrenceville, Cindy Sue (Jimmy) Massey of Fairfield and Sharon Ann (Jerry) Matthews of Xenia; two sons, Charles Ray (Nora) Fitzgerald of Irvington and Edward Jay (April) Fitzgerald of Noble and several grandchildren and great grandchildren; and two brothers, Dean Linder of Fairfield and Earl Linder of Ohio. 

Preceding her in death were her parents.

In Memoriam - December 1st

1918 William Fraim son of John & Polly (Hale) Fraim age 68.  He was born in 1850 and married Mary Gurley.  They had two daughters Ella and Lillie.

1946 Marcus Hampton age 77.  He was born in 1869.  Marcus married Margaret Speer and they had at least one child Ruth.

1988 Owen Robertson in California the son of John & Rose (Moore) Robertson age 69.  He was born in Illinois in 1919.

1993 William K. Erkman, 77, of Carmi, died at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 1, 1993, at Drew Memorial Hospital in Monticello, Ark.

He was a brother of Opal Hall, of Wayne City.

Mr. Erkman was a retired farmer.

Funeral rites were held Saturday evening from the Kittinger-Fair Funeral Home, with burial in North Maple Cemetery.

He was born at McLeansboro May 14, 1914, the son of John T. and Anna Heady Erkman.

On Sept. 7, 1946, he was married to Helen Trout.

Mr. Erkman was a World War II veteran, a member of the Carmi VFW and DAV.  He was a member of Webb Chapel Church in McLeansboro.

Surviving are his wife; one daughter, Fern Linder of Enfield; two brothers, Ray Erkman of McLeansboro; and John R. Erkman of Nixa, Mo.; five sisters, Opal Hall of Wayne City; Edith Robertson of Carmi; Fay Morris of Dahlgren; Jessie Musgrave of Pekin; and Freida Guner, of McLeansboro; and two grandchildren.

1997 Fred Crumbacher, 93 of Xenia, Ohio, and formerly of Olney died Monday Dec. 1, 1997 at Hospitality Home East.

He was a native of Cisne.

Funeral rites were held Thursday afternoon (today) from Crest Haven Memorial Park in Olney with Rev. Bill Cox officiating.  There was no visitation.  The Neeld Funeral Home in Xenia, Ohio is in charge of arrangements.

He was born Mar. 13, 1904 in Cisne the son of Albert and Ollie Trotter Crumbacher.

Mr. Crumbacher was married to Vera Bailey.  She passed away Dec. 12, 1994.  Also preceding him in death were his parents, four brothers and two sisters.

He was a member of the Elm Street Christian Church in Olney.

Surviving are one son, James Crumbacher of New Carlisle, Ohio; two grandchildren and one sister, Mable Schiele of Aurora.

In Memoriam -- November 30th

1732 John Loomis age 81 in Windsor, CT the son of Joseph Loomis.  He was born in Windsor, CT in 1651.

1874 In Memory of John Gentle

John Gentle was born in Washington County, Indiana, May 11, 1816, and died at his own residence in Jefferson County, Illinois, November 30, 1874, in the triumphs of a living faith, aged 58 years, 6 months and 19 days.

It was not until the spring of 1871 that he was deeply convicted of sin and saw that he was without God and without hope in the world; but he soon found the Pearl of Great Price, and was happily converted to God, in his own house, about the first of March 1871.  He soon afterwards attached himself to the Methodist Episcopal Church at Black Oak Ridge, Middleton Circuit, Mt. Vernon District, Southern Illinois Conference.  From thence he moved his membership to the Mt. Olivet Society, on the same circuit.  He was then licensed to exhort, by the Rev. W.R. Taylor, who was at that time Preacher in Charge.

In Memoriam - November 29th

1726 Elizabeth (Waterhouse) Lathrop age 65 in Norwich, CT.  She was the wife of Joseph Lathrop.  Elizabeth was born in 1661.

1963 Warner Dempsey the son of Warner & Katherine (Erkman) Dempsey.  He married Edna Trapp and they had a daughter Christina.  Warner is buried in Maple Ridge Cemetery in Carmi, IL.

In Memoriam - November 28th

1876 Leonard Gurley the five year old son of Leonard & Susanna (Morehead) Gurley in Wayne Co., IL.  He is buried in Bailey Cemetery in Wayne Co., IL.

1910 Mary (Maulding) Robertson in Wayne Co., IL age 63.  She was born in Hamilton Co., IL  in 1847 the daughter of Andrew & Hester (Hopkins) Maulding.  Mary married James Robertson in Middleton, IL in 1868, her father Andrew officiated.  She was the mother of seven children:  Idella, Laura, James, Hannah, John, Anna and Jennie.  She is buried in Salem / Mateer Cemetery in Wayne Co., IL.

1934 Orval Bond the seven month old son of Henry & Lula (Robertson) Bond. 

1945 Edward Crumbacher age 79 in Jefferson Co., IL.  He was born in 1866 in Wayne Co., IL the son of James & Nancy (Gentle) Crumbacher.  Edward married Elizabeth Simmons.  He is buried in Pleasant Hill Cemetery in Wayne Co., IL.